Amy's Canine Kindergarten

02/27/2025

Working on her beauty sleep!

02/26/2025

Nico is looking for a new home. Seasoned dog owners would be best. Here is a little information on him:

He was born Nov 3, is 13lbs and not neutered.
He’s had 2 rounds of puppy vaccines. He's showing what the breeder is calling "strong breed behaviors". He can be (and often is) a very sweet, very active, very playful pup, he does well in a crate for short periods of time.
Contact me a call for additional information.

02/23/2025

I agree…..”sit” is very overused.

"Sit"...."SIT"............"SIT"
What is so wrong with having a dog stand beside us ❓
Sit is SO overused.
It can be incredibly frustrating for them and sometimes painful for dogs to sit.
Yes, it can have it's place but how about a different low arousal activity (and only if you really need one) ?
This really is our habit to break and when we do.....they can start to listen to us MORE at other times.
This dog training handout is available through https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-nz-sit-often-overused?srsltid=AfmBOootM_8d1lNvaqGYwjqY5K6ZmmkD1i52al3IXacr8x7Bc5UH7Hvi

02/21/2025

Just a couple of cute faces from the week!❤️

02/14/2025

02/09/2025

So true….. relationship building is the most important step. The rest is gravy.

02/08/2025

Ms. Billie is working hard on impulse control. It’s tough for a teenager ☺️

02/05/2025

Terminology Tuesday ~ Trigger Stacking 🐶

Have you ever had one of those days that nothing seems to go right? 😔

The same thing happens with our dogs when it comes to things that cause them to have reactions or moments of over excitement! 🐾

Think of it as this…

Your dog gets up after a night of your baby or toddler crying (they didn’t get enough sleep) and then the mail person startles them (which wouldn’t usually cause them to bark but today it did). Then, you take your dog for a walk and there is a dog across the street that they can usually walk by no problem. But today, they bark at them and lunge. This is trigger stacking. One thing on top of the other on top of the other until they can’t take it any longer.

The next time your dog is having a harder day with being more reactive or barking, ask yourself, what may have happened earlier in the day? Could it be trigger stacking?

Is your dog having a harder day? Take some time to give them moments of relaxation and decompression by…

1️⃣ Providing opportunities for tasty enrichment activities that promote licking and or sniffing!

2️⃣ Take your dog somewhere quiet to go for a walk rather than a busy area where many triggers may be!

3️⃣ Focus on things that bring both you and your dog joy. This could be snuggles on the couch watching your favorite TV show while your baby or toddler is napping or a quick game of fetch in the yard!

01/30/2025

The energy level in my house seems a bit low☺️

01/25/2025

Java time!❤️

01/18/2025

Boop!

01/14/2025

Time with Ms. Daisy is time well spent!

01/13/2025

Flynn continues to build self confidence through training. Such a good fella.

01/12/2025

Even the tiny need training ❤️
Meet Mo!

01/05/2025

RIP Karen Pryor. She was a trailblazer in so many ways. Her book is a staple in the dog training and animal behavior world. Her work helped to create so many fantastic, positive trainers.

01/02/2025

Ready for 2025? Elgin is debating how many naps a day she will need this year!